Toughen me up
by Thatoneloserkid
Summary: This was a prompt on Tumblr 'Simmons asks Skye to help her learn how defend herself' This was originally supposed to be a one-shot but I got a little carried away so it will now be a few chapters long.
1. Chapter 1

"Skye."

Skye jumped when there was a light rapping on the window but smiled once she saw who was outside. She leant over and pushed the button for the window to roll down, smiling up at Simmons. "Yes, doctor Simmons?"

"I need your help with something."

"Well, if it's to hack somewhere I'm not really supposed to. I will but I'm not supposed to." Skye gave Simmons a small smile.

"No, it's nothing of that nature." Simmons shook her head, drumming her fingers on the door of the SUV. "I need you to toughen me up."

"Toughen you up? You mean, like, beat you up?"

"No, no. Like, teach me how to defend myself."

"Oh."

"It's ok if you don't want to, I could ask May." Jemma backtracks when she notices the unsure look on Skye's face, backing away from the SUV.

"Hey, no." Skye closes her laptop and sat it down on the floor of the car before crawling across the backseat to the window. "I'll help you."

"Oh, good." Simmons sighed, her hand coming up to cover her chest. "I would rather you than May."

"When do you want to start?"

"Just whenever you are free."

"Are can start now if you want. I don't have much work to do."

"Ok, I will go change into something more appropriate." Simmons smiled, spinning on her heels and began walking away, only getting a few steps before whirling back around. "By the way, everyone knows about your secret hide out."

"I gathered."

Simmons just smiled, bouncing a little on the balls of her feet as she turned and walked away.

Skye opened up her laptop again, booting it down before climbing out of the SUV and heading up to her bunk, dropping her laptop onto her bed and grabbing the roll of white boxing tape Ward had given her when he was training her.

When she walked back downstairs Simmons was there waiting for her, now dressed in a pair of blue yoga pants and a black sweater with 'Oxford' printed on it in large, white letters.

"Skye." Simmons smiles that big smile that she only ever seemed to save for Skye. "I'm ready."

"Not quite. Hands."

Jemma forward but held up her hands without question, allowing Skye to take ahold of one of them and roll up her sleeves.

"What is that for?" Simmons asked when Skye began wrapping her hands but before Skye could answer Simmons began speaking again. "It will strengthen my wrist bone, right?"

"Mm," Skye hummed, glancing up at Simmons with a slight smile on her face. "It will also protect your knuckles."

"Okay. And will you be doing the same?"

"I'm not the one who will be punching the bag." Skye answered. "Make a fist."

Simmons did as she was told, curling her fingers into a ball with a little restriction from the tape. Skye nodded to herself and set about taping Simmons' other hand.

"I'm glad you decided to help, I think training with May would have been terrifying."

"Who said training with me wouldn't be terrifying?" Skye frowned, looking mildly offended when Simmons giggled.

"Sorry, it's just- you aren't very scary, Skye."

"Excuse you. I can be scary."

"Okay, sure. You can be scary." Simmons agreed, making a fist with the other hand once Skye finished taping.

"Whatever. Now, punch it." Skye said, nodding towards the punch bag but held up her hands as soon as she saw Simmons make a fist. "No, stop."

"What?" Simmons frowned

Skye stepped closer, eyeing Simmons' fist, her thumb tucked into her palm instead of around her other fingers. "Just rest your fist against the punch bag." Simmons obliged, placing her knuckles against the leather. "Now start progressively pushing harder."

Simmons pushed until she could feel the strain on the joint of her thumb. "Ouch."

"Exactly." Skye took ahold of Simmons' fist and prying it open. "Your thumb goes on the outside otherwise it will just snap."

"And we don't want that."

"No," Skye agreed with a light chuckle. "We don't want that."

"Did you know that, ounce for ounce, a human bone is stronger than steel and around four times stronger than concrete?" Jemma looked up at Skye with such a hopeful and fascinated look that Skye couldn't help but smile.

"I didn't know that, no. But I don't think we should start building houses from bones instead of concrete."

"No," Simmons gave a little shake of her head as she turned back to the punch bag. "That wouldn't be wise."

Skye just hummed, moving behind Simmons and holding onto her wrists, pulling them up into a fight stance. "Now you have to keep these up here, ok? Let them drop and someone could get a clear shot at your head."

Simmons nodded, keeping her hands were Skye had positioned them when the hacker moved away.

"It's a simple one two, ok?" Skye demonstrated on the punch bag punching it first with her left hand that against straight after with her right hand. She then turned to Simmons and raised her eyebrows questioningly.

Simmons nodded and Skye moved to hold the punch bag.

"Ok, try it out."

Simmons copied Skye's movements, tentatively at first, but began getting progressively harder as she became more comfortable with the movements. "So, why did you want to do this? Not planning on becoming a field agent, are you?"

"Oh, god no."

"Then why? Did you just want an excuse to spend time with me?" Skye grinned cheekily at Simmons who just continued punching the bag.

"No. I'm just fed up with feeling like the runt of the litter." Simmons spoke, the punches on the bag getting a little harder. "I'm fed up with just being the lab rat."

"You aren't just the lab rat." Skye disagreed, frowning over at Simmons who didn't take her eyes from the bag. "Hey."

Simmons stopped, her hands dropping to her side as she looked at Skye.

"You aren't just the lab rat."

"Yes I am. I can't defend myself when we are out in the field. Even Fitz can protect himself, I'm bloody useless."

"And I would be useless if AC asked me to try and figure out something smart and science related." Skye gave Simmons a half smile, moving from behind to punch bag to between it and Simmons before continuing. "Everyone has their place, yours just happens to be in the labs but nobody could do that job half as well as you do, Jemma."

"I just want to be more than lab coats and safety glasses."

"You are. You are cat livers and alien viruses and gravity altering elements. You are a little English fact machine. You are interesting, endearing and usually a little clumsy. You are _a lot _more that a lab coat and safety glasses."

"You think so?" Simmons muttered bashfully.

"Yeah. And you don't have to prove anything to anyone." Skye stressed, smiling when Simmons looked up at her. "I mean, Jesus, Simmons, you discovered the cure to the Asgardian virus you were _dying_ from in under two hours."

"That's wasn't a big deal..."

"No, it was. That was incredible." Skye practically gushed, throwing her hands up as she looked at Simmons. "Then you jump out a plane to save us all. That was extremely stupid and I wanted to punch you for doing it but it was also brave. Just don't do it again."

Simmons giggled and shook her head.

"You still wanna do this? Because we can or we can go upstairs and get something to eat?"

"No, I want to do this." Simmons said, determination laced in her voice and Skye couldn't help but smile.

"Ok, young grass hopper." Simmons frowned at Skye, obviously not getting the reference. "Karate kid? No?"

"I've never seen it."

"Of course you haven't. Uh, a reference that you might get." Skye thought about it as she moved back behind the punch bag. "Ah. Use the force you must."

"That sounded nothing like Yoda." Simmons huffed, laying a few punched on the bag.

"Ah, the force is strong with this one." Skye grinned when Simmons lets out a little frustrated huff. "Powerful you have become, the dark side I sense in you."

"Looks like you are a bigger Star Wars nerd that I am, Skye."

Skye laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "Star Wars is a classic, Doctor Simmons."

Simmons didn't disagree.

They had spent a good two hours at the bag and Simmons was way past being exhausted and bored.

"Are we just going to do this all day?"

"Patients you must have."

"That's getting a little old, too." Simmons huffed, falling against the punch bag, resting her cheek against the cool leather.

"I think you got the hang of it a while ago, I just wanted to see how resilient you were."

"Skye!" Simmons snapped, swinging to punch Skye in the arm but stumbled with she took a step back.

"There's your first problem." Skye pointed out, gripping onto Simmons' waist to steady her. "Balance, you need to have a low center of gravity."

Simmons nodded, looking up at Skye, as if waiting for instructions but Skye didn't give her any, she just stated right back at her, the corner of her mouth lifting into a little smile.

"How about we work on some fight combos then you can get back to your actual work?"

"Oh, yes. I have cultures to look at, an Asgardian bacterium. Hopefully not deadly." Simmons joked, taking a step back from Skye and picking at the tape on her hands.

"Yeah, hopefully not deadly." Skye agreed, stepping back into Simmons' personal space to help unwrap the scientists hands, since she would't be needing it for this part. "You are important, you know that don't you?"

Simmons looked up at Skye as the hacker finished unwrapping her hands.

"I mean, not just to SHIELD but to other people, too. To Fitz, to AC." Skye balled up the tape on her hands, raising her eyes to meet Simmons'. "To me."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I'm not one for getting attached but you and Fitz seem to have wormed your way under my skin. He's like a brother to me."

"Are you saying I'm like your sister?"

"No, that would be weird." Skye shakes her head and Simmons is about to ask what she means by that but Skye piped up again. "Ok, lets start."

Skye spend the next hour showing Simmons different punch and kick combinations before finally catching Simmons' hand and smiling. "You're doing good but I should probably get upstairs, I think AC wanted to see me hours ago. Again tomorrow, though, yeah?"

"Okay." Simmons nodded and Skye released Simmons' hands, heading towards the stairs. Simmons' eyes trailing on her as she left.

Skye stopped at the top, grinning cheekily down at Simmons. "May the force be with you, Doctor Simmons."

Simmons couldn't stop the laugh that slipped from her lips and Skye looked satisfied as she disappeared upstairs.

"You are so obvious."

Simmons jumped and spun around to see Fitz standing in the doorway of the lab, a little grin on his face.

"Oh, Fitz. I didn't know you were here."

"Mm, the full time." Fitz quipped, nudging her head back towards the lab. "I was working on Sleepy, he needed some fine tuning."

"Oh, and how is that going?" Simmons asked offhandedly as she walked past Fitz into the lab, grabbing her lab coat as she went.

"Good, I'm almost done." Fitz closed the door to the lab and followed Simmons over to the incubator that was holding her cultures. "But don't try and change the subject. I'm surprised Skye didn't notice."

"Notice what?" Simmons didn't turn to look at Fitz as she sat the petri dishes on the bench and set about turning on her burner to make a slid of the bacteria.

"That you were looking at her like you wanted to just... tear her clothes off."

"What? I was not looking at her like that, Fitz." Simmons shook her head, angling her head away from Fitz so he couldn't see the blush rising on her cheeks.

"You were looking at her like she was a piece of meat."

Simmons just scoffed, turning on her microscope and placing the slid on the base.

"What are you actually looking for?" Fitz asked, leaning a little closer to Simmons but kept a little distance from the bacteria.

"Any structural difference between this bacterium and bacterium here on earth." Simmons murmured, peering down the scope and adjusting focus.

"Rather you then me being near that stuff after what happened the last time." Fitz shook his head, a look of disgust forming on his face as he moved back to his station.


	2. Chapter 2

"Skye."

"No." Skye grumbled, pushing away the hand that was poking her face.

"Skye, we need to practice." Simmons said, poking at Skye's cheek again.

"Jemma, no." Skye flipped over so her back was to Simmons, pulling the covers up over her head. "Go back to bed."

"But this is the only free time I have today."

Skye rolled onto her back, glaring up at Simmons through one eye. "Simmons, it is ridiculously early in the morning, how do you have the energy to even stand up never mind train?"

"It's not _that_ early."

Skye lifted her head to look at the clock she had glued up on her shelf, falling back against the pillow with a huff. "Six am, Simmons."

"I made you breakfast. Well, Fitz made breakfast, I just put some aside for you. And Coffee." Simmons smiled hopefully down at Skye who groaned, bringing her arm up to cover the smile that had fought its way onto her lips.

"Fine, I'm up." Skye pushed herself up onto her elbows, looking up at Simmons with raised eyebrows. "I'm kind of not wearing any bottoms so..."

"Oh. Right, yes." Simmons straightened up and turned her back to Skye. "Of course, sorry."

"It's cool. Just, you know, get out."

"Of course." Simmons nodded, stepping out of Skye's bunk and pulling the door closed.

Skye chuckled to herself as she rolled out of bed, picking up the pair of sweats that she had discarded on the floor as she got into bed last night and pulled them on.

"Good morning." Fitz chirped in an overly cheerful voice, especially for six in the morning. "I heard you're training Jemma."

"Fitz." Simmons warned, glaring over at Fitz.

Skye frowned, sitting down at the bar and resting her chin on her fist. "Yeah, I am."

"And hows that goin'? She's not being difficult, I hope."

"Simmons has never been difficult." Skye smiled sweetly over at Simmons before looking back at Fitz. "She doesn't really appreciate my Yoda quotes, though."

"I was tired so they were getting very irksome." Simmons huffed, placing a place and mug down in front of Skye.

"Thanks."

Simmons just smiled, sitting down at the bar beside Skye.

"Why are you both up this early?"

"I get up because it's the only quiet time I get to work. Jemma is just a morning person."

"You say that like it is a bad thing."

"It is when someone shares a house with you and you decide to do your bloody work out at seven am." Fitz argued.

"Says the man who stays up ridiculously late using tools in the garage."

"Ok, Fitzsimmons, as cute as this little lovers tiff is, could you not? At least not this early."

Skye finished her breakfast and slowly drank her coffee before trailing behind Simmons as she lead the way downstairs.

"So, you and Fitz. What's the deal with that? You guys are, like, totally secretly married, right?" Skye asked as Simmons unzipped her hoodie and threw it to the side.

"Fitz and I have known each other since freshman year of college."

"He went to oxford, too?"

"No. Oxford is where I got my first PhD. I then moved to America and attended Harvard, Fitz was at MIT we met at some student bar and have been inseparable ever since. We moved in together after college for six months before we were recruited by shield."

"Your _first_ PhD? How many do you have?"

"A few." Simmons shrugged, standing in front of Skye.

"You know that one of the most attractive qualities in a person is intelligence, right?"

"It is?"

"Yeah." Skye nodded, briefly biting down on her bottom lip. "Ok, if you can hit someone with your elbow, do so. It's much harder and there is much less chance of you harming yourself when you do." Skye explained, "Now, you are obviously shorter than most..."

"Hey!" Simmons protested, frowning at Skye.

"Oh, I'm sorry, were you not aware you were shorter than average." Skye asked sarcastically, raising her eyebrows eye Simmons.

"Well, yes, but that was still rude."

Skye rolled her eyes, smiling slightly as she pouted at Simmons. "I'm sorry."

"You're being a... a _meanie_."

Skye laughs out loud at this, her hands coming up to cover her mouth. "A meanie? Really?"

"Shut up." Simmons huffed, folding her arms across her chest.

"Adorable." Skye muttered as she pried Simmons' arms apart. "Ok, as I was saying. Since you aren't the tallest person in the world you will have to bring them down to your level."

"You are being patronizing."

Skye ignored Simmons and took a step back. "The most obvious place to target would be the groin. Fitz, come out here a second."

"You aren't going to hurt him, are you?"

"Of course not."

"I'm extremely busy, Skye, what do you want?"

"Went I pretend to kick you in the groin you double over like you would if i had actually hurt you, ok?"

"Really? You want me to be apart of this little escapade?"

"Just do it, brave heart, and you can go back to work." Skye sighed.

"Brave heart, really?" Fitz tutted and nodded. "Fine."

"Thank you." Skye huffed, positioning Fitz before turning back to Simmons. "First off you kick them in the groin as hard as you can." Skye pretended to kick Fitz who doubled over like instructed. "Then you send your elbow as hard as you can into either their temple or nose."

Simmons nodded, watching Skye demonstrate this on Fitz.

"Alright, you can go now."

"Thank you." Fitz groaned, heading back into the lab.

"If you can get their nose that would be better, it tends to stun people when they've been hit on the nose." Skye explained, turning back to Simmons. "Anytime you can get a hit into a persons nose is great, actually. It's good to use the heel of your hand and just thrust it upwards against the persons nose."

"But that can kill them." Simmons pointed out.

"And I'm assuming these people will be wanting to kill you."

"Oh, yes. Of course."

"There's not really much practice you can do with that so I was thinking we could practice sneak attacks. If someone comes at you from behind."

Simmons nodded, spinning around so her back was to Skye and clasping her hands in front of her.

"Ok, most people who attack from behind will go for your neck." Skye started stepping up against Simmons back. They weren't touching but Simmons could still feel the heat radiating off Skye and it was distracting to say the least. "They will try and put you in a sleeper hold and you have to find a way out of that as soon as possible. Kick at their shins, stomp on their feet, go for their eyes. Anything they would cause them to loosen their grip."

Skye wound her arms around Simmons' neck in the normal chokehold position but didn't apply any pressure.

"When their arms loosen you flip them. So, grab my right arm." Simmons mindlessly followed orders, holding into Skye's forearm. "Spread your feet a little for more balance." Skye kicked at Simmons' feet until they were the right width apart. "Good girl."

Simmons almost shivered when Skye whispered that into her ear but she managed to stop herself, knowing full well Skye would feel it. "Now what?"

"You pull hard on my arm and roll me off your hip. All in one motion. Don't let go if my arm when I hit the floor."

"But won't that hurt?"

"No, it will be fine."

Simmons nodded nervously, pulling at Skye's arm without much force at all.

"Come on, Simmons, put some effort into it." Skye huffed and Simmons did pull a little harder but still not hard enough. "Pretend I'm someone else. A Hydra agent."

Skye really wanted expecting the force the came from Simmons as she was pulled pretty effortlessly off the ground and landed on her back in front of Simmons with a huff as the wind rushed out her lungs.

"Jesus, I didn't know you had such grudge against Hydra."

"Not Hydra,"

"Ward." Skye nodded understandingly, hopping to her feet, trying to catch her breath. "I get it. We all trusted him."

"I'm over it."

"No you're not." Skye argued, holding up her hands in a loose fight stance. "Come on, this is a good way to relieve stress. Take a swing at me."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You need something to relieve stress. Use me."

Simmons looked unsure but put up her hands anyway. "What if i hurt you?"

"You wont hurt me." Skye assured, rolling her eyes when Simmons gave her a feeble hit on her arm. "Simmons, if you keep bottling all this up one day you are just going to snap, maybe at the wrong person."

"I'm not bottling everything up."

"Ward was your friend, you trusted him and he stabbed you in the back. He ordered to have Coulson tortured, he ordered Quinn to kill me. He helped Hydra take down SHIELD. He..." Skye just managed to block the punch that Simmons threw at her face, jumping back when Simmons swung at her side. "Talk to me, Simmons."

"We trusted him," Simmons huffed as she continued throwing punches at Skye, all of which Skye blocked. "He was like a brother to us, we risked out lives to protect him and he throws it back in our faces by torturing the man who looked after him and almost murdering you."

"He's incarcerated now, he can't hurt anyone else." Skye assured, noticing how labored Simmons' breathing was becoming and how angry the girl actually looked.

"That's not the point." Simmons groaned, feeling the strain in her shoulders from the training the day before. "He hurt the people who cared about him, we would have done anything for him. We loved him." Simmons growled, catching Skye completely by surprised when she swung rather forcefully, landing a hit to Skye's face, splitting her lip then catching Skye in the side with an upper cut, knocking the wind from her lungs.

Skye doubled over, a grin appearing on her lips when she looked up at Simmons whose face had morphed from focused and mad to worry and regret.

"Oh, gosh. I didn't mean... I'm _so_ sorry, Skye."

"It's cool. That's exactly what I wanted from you." Skye shrugged, bringing her thumb up to wipe away the blood that had started trickling out of her lip.

Simmons ignored Skye, stepping closer to her and holding onto her chin to get a better look at the cut on Skye's lip.

"I'm fine. Got a mean right hook on you, for a scientist." Skye grinned, pulling back from Simmons, holding onto Simmons' hand when it dropped from her face. "Are _you_ ok?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"I don't believe you." Skye ducked her head to look Simmons in the eyes. "What Ward done was terrible and you haven't spoken to anyone about it."

"I don't like thinking about it because it makes me wonder who I can really trust. I put my life in Ward's hands so many times and he was a double agent."

"Who do you trust?"

"All of you, now. But after it all happened the only person I truly trusted was Fitz."

"That's why you were so distant." Skye said, and it was more of a realization that a question.

"Mm," Simmons hummed. "But I do trust you, I trust all of you."

"That's good to know, I could alway use someone like you in my corner if I, say, almost die." Skye grinned but Simmons didn't find it amusing. "Maybe we should call it a day, I can try and get a little more sleep before midday and you can do you science thing. We can practice that flip some more tomorrow."

"At least let me fix that lip, clean it."

"Maybe you should fix your own hand first." Skye suggested and Simmons looked down to see a gash on her middle knuckle that she hadn't even noticed before.

"How did that happen?"

"You caught my tooth. No damage, though." Skye held up her hands and smiled, her teeth stained red. "I'm going to wash this then head upstairs. Good luck with that Asgardian thingy, yeah?"

"There isn't much of a structural difference. Their capsule is a lot thicker than most here on earth which shows they live in a pretty nasty environment. They are also Gram-positive."

Skye is smiling down at Simmons her eyebrows raised in amusement and confusion. "And that's... good?"

"Well, not really. A Thick capsule means that if it does infect someone then it will be difficult to kill off. They also have a pilus, which isn't good."

"And that is?"

"Oh, it is an appendage that comes out of bacterium and into another."

"So, like, bacteria sex."

"Not exactly. It is a process where they share DNA so if one of the cells has the power to, say, create a capsule against frigid temperatures they will pass it on. It is an incredible evolutionary trait, really." Simmons gushed, that sparkle in her eye reappearing for the first time since Hydra.

Skye smile, nodding as if she completely understood what Simmons was saying. "Yeah, totally."

"But the fact that it possesses all of the same traits that bacterium on earth have shows that Asgard isn't much different than earth."

"That's awesome." Skye agreed, though that wouldn't have been where her mind went after looking at bacteria.

"It really is. It makes you wonder if the other seven worlds are the same."

"Seven worlds?"

"Yes. Have you never heard of the nine worlds of Norse Mythology." Simmons asked like it was the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard.

"No," Skye shook her head, "Tell me about them."

"Not much is really known about them. we do know their names and inhibitions. The first level is Asgard which is home of the Aesir, Vanaheim, home of the Venir and Alfheim home of the Light Elves. In the middle is Midgard, or middle earth, which is here, earth, and is home to, obviously, humans. We are connected to Asgard by 'The Rainbow Bridge'. And the third level consists of Jotunheim, home of the Giants, Svartalfheim where the Dark Elves are, Niflheim has Dwarfs. Niflheim is home of the dead and Muspelhein is home of the Fire Giants and Demons."

"And all of those are real? Demons and Fire Giants?"

"We aren't sure, apparently Asgardian Gods have been keeping them away from earth."

"Huh," In all honestly, Skye didn't really care, Mythology wasn't really her thing, but she was just enjoying have the old Jemma back. "And how come Thor and Lady Sif can come to earth but we can't go to Asgard."

"Because they are Gods."

"Ah,"

Simmons narrowed her eyes at Skye. "You don't really care, do you?"

"Of course I do, it's interesting."

"No it's not, you don't care. I'm just going to..."

"Ok," Skye lightly grabbed onto Simmons' wrist as she turned to walk away. "Ok, so maybe I don't really care about Greek Mythology."

"Norse. Norse Mythology."

"Right. I don't really care about that but you do." Skye shrugged, using the sleeve of her jumper to wipe blood from her chin and apply pressure to the gash on her lip. "You were you again. I haven't seen you go all science cheerleader in a while."

"Norse Mythology technically isn't science but..." Simmons trailed off when she noticed Skye looked down at her with raised eyebrows. "But that wasn't the point."

"No, that wasn't really the point." Skye agreed, pointing back towards the stairs. "I'm going to go back to bed before Coulson gets me up for whatever mess we are dealing with today."

Simmons nodded, picking up the zipper she had thrown on the floor and walking over to the doors to the lab.

"And you wake me up this early again I will have you punching the bag for the whole session, ok?"

Simmons knew Skye was trying to be intimidating but the ghost of a smile on her lip made Simmons smile. "Sure, ok."

"Good." Skye quipped before disappearing upstairs.

-

Skye looked up when there was a knock on her bunk, closing her laptop and leaning over to pull her door open. A smiled stretched across Skye's face when her eyes landed on Simmons. "Hello, Doctor Simmons."

"Hello, Skye. I just wanted to see how you were?"

"I'm fine. I was actually just going to settle down and watch a movie. Do you want to join? I will even let you choose the movie."

"Are you sure? I know everyone needs their alone time."

"That's all you ever get here. You and Fitz are around scurrying around in the lab, May is hardly welcoming, Coulson speaks in riddles and Trips nice enough to be around for a little while. It's nice to have a little company."

"Well, ok. What films do you have?"

"Whatever one you want. I can get them online."

"Of course, hacker."

Skye nodded, scooting closer to the wall of the plane and patting the space beside her. "Come on, Doc."

Simmons moved into the room, closer the door and sitting tentatively on the bed beside Skye.

"What do you want to watch?"

"How about Karate Kid?" Simmons suggested. "I haven't seen it and it's good enough for you to quote so."

"We will watch the original. The one with that Will Smiths kid is just awful." Skye explained as she typed away on her laptop and within a few seconds the Columbia Pictures logo was one the screen.

"Is this legal?"

"Not entirely, no. But the FED's have more important things to be searching for, they aren't going to focus on some chick watching a movie from the nineteen-eighties." Skye assured, setting the laptop half on her lap and half on Simmons'.

Simmons settled back against the headboard beside Skye, accepting the earbud the hacker was holding out to her.

"Does it ever scare you?" Simmons asked, ignoring the fact the movie had begun and turned to look at Skye.

"What? Karate Kid?" Skye frowned in confusing, turning her head to look at Simmons.

"No, Hydra."

"Hydra is gone, Simmons."

"They thought they were gone after World War two, too. They could come back to power like they did this time." Simmons licked her lips, ringing her hands together and looking over at Skye. "We only just made it through this time, what if we don't defeat them next time?"

Skye shrugged, "I don't know what you want me to say, Jemma. I don't want to lie to you, all of that can happen, it is actually highly possible."

Simmons smiled sadly, casting her gaze back down to her hands. "I wish you had lied to me."

"You know what, if they do we will take them down like we did both time before. SHIELD isn't exactly on top of their game right now, sure, but Coulson and Hill are working to build it from the ground up again."

"Do you think it will get back to what it was?"

"Probably not. But would we really want it to be the same? After what happened."

"I guess not."

"We will be ok, you know. I trust Coulson and Hill." Skye assured, trying to convince herself as well as Simmons.

"Yes, of course." Simmons nodded nervously, turning back to the movie.

They only got another five minutes into the the movie before Simmons spoke up again. "Skye?"

"Yes, Doc?" Skye turned her head to Simmons but kept her eyes on the screen.

"Did you have feelings for Ward?"

Skye frowned, drawing her eyes away from the screen to look at Simmons and pulled out her earbud. "I don't, why?"

"But did you?"

"Not at the start. I thought he was a self-loving, damaged, hostile d-bag but then he saved my life and that does something to a person. Then I found out he was Hydra and I pretended to like him because that's the only thing I could think to do. If he got wind that I knew he could have killed all of you."

"You still shouldn't have gotten on that plane with him, how did you think that was going to end?" Simmons scolded.

"With my team coming to get me or you guys safe. I was fine with either way."

"He wouldn't have thought twice about killing you, you know that?"

Skye nodded, "I know."

"You can't do something like that again. We are better together."

"I was protecting you." Skye argued, frowning over at Simmons. "And the team."

"By putting your _own_ life at risk!" Simmons snapped in a tone that Skye had never heard from her before.

"Are you seriously giving me a lecture? It's been months, Simmons."

"Well, I haven't had the chance to tell you off." Simmons huffed, poking Skye in the shoulder.

Skye frowned, looking down at her shoulder. "Do you want me to say I'm sorry? Because I'm not. I would do it again."

"Please don't. It wasn't fun, worrying about you."

"You were worried?"

"Of course, Skye. I care about you. We all do."

Skye nodded, shifting a little so her head was resting against Simmons' shoulder. "And do you have feelings for Fitz?"

"No. Fitz is like my brother and I love him like one."

Skye nodded against Simmons' shoulder, smiling when one of her arms slid unsurely around Skye's back.

"And you have a cheek to lecture me about 'better together' you jumped out of a plane."

"I have a reason."

"So did I."

Neither one of them made it to the end of the movie, both of them crashing before it was even half done.


	3. Chapter 3

Skye wasn't surprised when she woke up and Simmons was gone, since the Brit was obviously a early riser and it was around noon.

Skye rolled out of bed, fixing her sweats that had been twisted in her sleep and stumbled out of her bunk, just managing to stop herself before she collided with Simmons, who was rushing towards the stairs.

"Oh, good morning, sleepyhead."

Skye smiled at the accent, running her hand through her hair and throwing it over her shoulder. "Hi. Where are you rushing off to?"

"Fitz needs my help in the lab with the night-night gun. We are trying to make the neuro-toxin air born like those we encountered on the train."

"How is that going?"

"It's proving a lot harder than we thought it would. We can't seem to figure out just how they were about to distribute it into a cloud."

"I'm sure if anyone can figure it out it's Fitzsimmons." Skye offered, grinning when Simmons giggled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and dropping her gaze to the floor. "When will you be free so you can maybe give me a black eye or something?"

"Well, I can skip lunch."

"Or we can practice those flips for about half an hour then we could have lunch together."

Simmons nodded, fiddling with one of the old neuro-toxin grenades. "Yes, that would be nice."

"Cool. So, one o'clock down stairs?"

Simmons nodded. "And I promise I wont hurt you again."

Skye scoffed as she made her way over to the breakfast bar. "I let you get a hit in."

"I'm sure you did."

"Was that sarcasm, Doctor Simmons?" Skye teased, spinning on the stool she was sitting on to look at Simmons.

Simmons just smiled, holding up the grenade as if to say she had to get back to work and disappeared downstairs.

Skye grinned to herself, spinning back around on the stool and almost falling off it when her eyes landed on Trip.

"Jesus, Trip."

"God, you are so smitten." The man chuckled, handing Skye a cup of coffee.

"With Simmons? That's ridiculous." Skye disagreed, bringing the mug up to her lips.

"I've seen the way you look at her. Especially when she is talking about all that science crap."

"It isn't crap, it is very interesting, if you understand it."

"Which you don't. You just stare at her like she is telling you the meaning of life." Trip teased, grinning down at Skye who just ignored him in favor of the TV that was playing reruns of friends, no doubt Fitz had put them on.

"Well, if anyone can figure that out it would be Simmons." Skye murmured, taking a sip from her mug.

"Who knew such a good agent would be so blind?" Trip muttered, walking down towards the cockpit before Skye could reply.

Skye rolled her eyes, perching her cheek on her fist as she watched the TV.

Simmons was downstairs when Skye walked down at one o'clock, absentmindedly hitting the punch bag as she waited for Skye.

"You could really hurt yourself doing that."

"I wasn't hitting it hard."

"You remember the steps we went through yesterday."

"Yes. I even done some research."

"Of course you did." Skye smiles fondly as she moved behind Simmons and putting her in a chokehold. "Ok, just whenever you are..."

Skye didn't get a chance to finish before she was flipped over Simmons' shoulder and landed with a thud in front to the scientist.

"Jesus. A little warning next time would be nice."

"I think I understand this, can we do something more difficult." Simmons asked, grinning proudly down at Skye who was still, discreetly, trying to catch her breath.

"Ok, fight me." Skye said as she got to her feet, smirking over at Simmons.

"Fight you?"

"Yeah. If I can get you in a chokehold for ten seconds, I win and if you can flip me and pin me there for five second, you win."

"And what does the winner get?"

"Uh, choice of movie when you decide to come visit me in my bunk next. But you won't need to worry about that." Skye grins cockily, getting into fight stance. "Come at me, Doctor."

Simmons also got into fight stance and swung a punch at Skye who easily blocked it, grabbing Simmons' arm and twisting it around her back before shoving her away. "To predictable, Simmons."

"Shut up." Simmons huffs as she turns back away to face Skye, that same determined look from the day before setting her features and Skye couldn't her but grin, this is exactly that kind of mindset Simmons had to be in when in close combat.

"Make me."

Skye blocks the next three punches that Simmons threw at her but was caught off guard with a kick to the back of the knee, something she definitely hadn't taught her.

"You've researched this too, haven't you?"

"Maybe." Simmons gives Skye a coy smile and a little shrug, and Skye, as weird as it is, actually swoons a little. She didn't have time to over analyze it, though, because Simmons was back attacking her, getting sly hits in that Skye didn't anticipate.

Then Skye saw her chance, when there was a thin shine of sweat on both of their foreheads and they were both breathing a little heavier. Simmons swung at her head and Skye ducked, her arm wrapping around Simmons' neck as she moved behind her, applying a little more pressure than she would have if it was just practicing.

"Come on, Simmons. Do something." Skye breathed against Simmons' ear and she could have sworn the Brit shivered.

Simmons took a few seconds to recover before jabbing Skye in the ribs with her elbow, taking the distraction of being winded to bite down, not as forcefully as she could have, on Skye's arm and when it was loose enough she flipped Skye over her, not missing a best when she landed on the floor and straddled her stomach, pinning her as above her head.

"Fuck me." Skye muttered in surprised.

Simmons just stared down at her for five seconds, a grin appearing on her lips as she whispered. "Five."

"You know, I never pictured you as a top but I can totally see it now." Skye breathed. "I also didn't peg you as a bitter."

"I didn't think you would have been submissive." Simmons shot back, letting go of Skye's wrists and leaning back.

"I'm not. Not where it counts, anyway."

"Are you flirting with me?"

"Totally." Skye grinned a little, leaning up on her elbows.

"Skye, Simmons. We have a briefing. Get up here." May called from the top of the steps making both girls frown.

"We haven't had a mission together in a while." Simmons said and Skye hummed in agreement.

"It will be just like old times."

"Let's go you two." Fitz interrupted as he walked briskly out of the lab and up the stairs.

"After this we can practice flips a few more times, even though I think you've got it down, then have lunch, ok?" Skye offered as Simmons got off of her and offered her hand to put herself up.

"Ok,"

Both girls headed upstairs, standing beside the table waiting for Coulson to starts.

"Ok. We think we have located some Deathlok technology."

"But wasn't that project a branch of Hydra?" Fitz asked.

Skye jumped when a hand wrapped around hers. She turned her head to look down at Simmons who was already looking over at her, her features almost saying 'I told you so'. Skye just smiled calmingly, squeezing Simmons' hand.

"Yes. But we never managed to collect all of their weapons."

"So Hydra isn't still around?"

"Of course not, Cap took care of that. Their very dangerous equipment, however, is still out there."

Simmons visible relaxed but didn't let go of Skye's hand.

"So where are we heading?" Trip asked and Coulson tapped that table a few times and a pub appear on the screen.

"A small pub in Ireland. We think one of the mobsters there have somehow came into possession of similar arm technology as Mike Peterson."

"That's not good." Skye murmured and everyone turned to look at her. "I mean, he had this thing that made Ward have a heart attack but then he stopped it and gave him adrenaline or something."

"You never told us about that." Coulson frowned.

"Yeah, it slipped my mind until now."

"Anyway. That plan is that Skye and Simmons will go in undercover and attract the attention of the mob which will make if easier for Fitz to hack the lock to the back door and for him, Trip and I to get into the safe. May will also be in the bar incase some sort of fight breaks out, which is highly probable with Skye there."

Skye frowned at that but the rest of the table just hummed in agreement.

"That's rude."

"We will get to Dublin at eight am tomorrow and will be at the pub by noon. Everyone clear?"

Everyone murmured a yes and Coulson dismissed them.

"You ok?" Skye asked once everyone had left, turning to face Simmons.

"Yes. Of course."

"Really?" Skye raised her eyebrows, obviously not believing Simmons.

"No," Simmons sighed, averting her eyes from Skye and began fiddling around with the table.

"Hey," Skye placed her hands over Simmons' to stop her from distracting herself. "You heard Coulson, this _isn't_ Hydra."

"That's not what it is." Simmons shook her head lightly, leaning back against the table. "The last time we went in to get Deathlok technology you almost died."

"That wasn't about Deathlok, that was Hydra, they made Quinn shoot me." Skye assured, "Besides, this is just some Irish mobsters. We've fought a self-destructing cyborg, this will be a piece of cake."

"True. How dangerous can mobsters really be?"

Skye grinned, "Exactly, we are badass SHIELD agents. And you, apparently, are a crazy fast learner and can now kick my ass."

"You let me do that, didn't you?"

"No, you genuinely got the better of me." Skye reassured, nodding her head towards the stairs. "You wanna get back to it?"

"If you are ready for that."

Skye rolled her eyes and walked away from Simmons without another word, leaving Simmons to catch up with her.

It was on the fifth flip that there was a pop as Simmons pulled Skye over her shoulder and Skye cried out in pain as she hit the ground.

"Skye, are you ok?"

"Yeah," Skye squeaked, getting to her feet and attempted to move the arm she had hurt but just ended up squeaking in pain. "No."

"Oh, gosh." Simmons rushed to Skye's side, cradling her arm against Skye's stomach and pressing her fingers lightly against Skye's shoulder.

"Ouch, Jemma!"

"It's dislocated. I am _so _sorry, Skye."

"Just pop it back in and we will be good, yeah?" Skye tried to smile without showing that she was in pain.

"Ok, uh, come into the lab. We will need to put it in a sling for about a week incase it dislocates again."

"A week?" Skye snapped, allowing Simmons to lead her towards the lab, Simmons still cradling her arm against her stomach. "We have a mission tomorrow, Simmons. I can't have my arm in a goddamn sling."

"You don't have a choice. But you having a sling will make it less conspicuous."

"And what if a fight breaks out? I can't defend us with one arm."

"Coulson said it's just and in and out." Simmons lead Skye over to one of the lab benches. "Sit up there, I will be right back."

Skye slid onto the table, holding her arm against her stomach.

"I need you to take your shirt off."

"Are you trying to get me naked, Doctor Simmons?" Skye teased but Simmons ignored her, quickly unbuttoning Skye's shirt. "Who knew you were so good with your fingers?"

"I'm a scientist, Skye, I have to be good with my hands." Simmons answered obliviously, blushing when she looked up to see Skye smirking down at her, realizing what the hacker was actually talking about. "Oh."

Skye laughed but it turned onto a groan of pain when Simmons slid her shirt over her injured shoulder.

"Lie down for me, and rest your arm by your side." Simmons ordered as she opened up the first aid box and pulled out a sling and a chemically activated ice pack. "This is going to hurt."

"I think I've had worse."

Simmons ignored Skye again, holding onto her forearm and bending the injured arm at the elbow. "Ok, I'm going to pull your arm slowly towards me. I need to do it slowly, if I do it quickly I could damage a nerve, so just bear with me, ok?"

Skye nodded, lifting her hand to cover her eyes.

"Take in a deep breath and release it slowly."

Simmons waited for Skye to breath in before slowly pulling Skye's forearm towards her.

Skye let out a shaky breath, biting down on her bottom lip, groaning when her shoulder popped back into its socket. "Son of a bitch."

"Sorry." Simmons apologized, helping Skye sit up, using her knuckles to wipe away a tear that had leaked out of Skye's eyes. "I should have known we were putting to much stress on your shoulder joint."

"I should have told you it beginning to hurt."

Simmons hummed, wrapping the sling around Skye's body and tying it in a knot by her neck. "Keep this ice pack here."

Simmons snapped the ice pack, rolling it between her hands before sitting it on Skye's shoulder.

"Thanks."

Simmons nodded, cleaning everything away before handing Skye a bottle of water.

"So that's," Simmons paused, leaning against the table beside Skye. "Three times I've one upped you, huh?"

Skye laughed. "You're a fast learner."

"You have to be at the academy."

Skye hummed a little, rolling the cap of the water in between we thumb and pointer finger. "You know what one of the worst parts of Hydra was for me?"

"Ward betraying you?"

"No. Not knowing if you and Fitz were alive. That was terrifying. I mean, what would've been the point in fighting if we didn't have our two top scientist." Skye murmured, her eyes not moving from the bottle in her hand, even when Simmons placed her hand on Skye's knee. "I would've. I would've fought until Ward was dead but after that," Skye shook her head. "I don't think I could've."

"Well, you didn't need to make that decision."

"I would have missed the Fitzsimmons arguments." Skye chuckled. "I remember being told you guys were missing. That you weren't answering and your tracker was in New Mexico. My stomach just dropped, I thought for sure you were both dead, I thought Ward or Garrett had killed you. Then Coulson just expected me to be productive, the only thing that kept me from just throwing in the towel was the thought that if we got to Ward he could tell us where you guys were. Then Garrett said you guys were dead."

"It was an eye opening experience, being at the bottom of the ocean. Terrifying, I thought I was going to loose Fitz. He's such a brave man, risking his life to save mine."

"Yeah, he doesn't get enough credit, he's just as brave, if not more than the other agents." Skye admitted. "I love you two, you know that, don't you?"

"I love you, too." That wasn't Simmons voice, this accent was Scottish.

Skye glanced around the room, looking for Fitz but Simmons jus rolled her eyes.

"Fitz, turn the dwarves off."

"Sorry." Fitz mumbled. "I do, though."

Simmons reached over, closing the box that was holding the dwarves.

"He is so nosy." Simmons tutted.

"So I just have to keep this on for a week then we can get back to training? Maybe some self defense this time."

"You still was to train me? After me dislocating your arm?"

"Hey, accidents happen. Whatever."

"Ok. But only if it isn't to exerting for you."

"You'll be doing all the heavy lifting. We can start with getting a gun off someone. That's exciting."

"This time, if your shoulder starts to hurt, you tell me, ok?"

"Scouts honor." Skye promised, grinning cheekily as she held up two fingers.

"The scouts promise is three fingers, doofus." Simmons smiled fondly.

"Then what is the two fingers for?"

"Well, this way is peace," Simmons held up two fingers, her palm facing Skye before turning it around so that back of her hand was facing Skye. "And this, well, you know what this means. I assume you've used it numerous times."

"I have. But I wanna hear you say it."

Simmons rolled her eyes, pushing herself away from the table. "Lunch? Fitz has probably made extra."

"I don't actually think I could stomach anything, I've lost my appetite." Skye slid off the table and followed Simmons out if the lab. "I think I'm going to do some research on this Irish mob, see what we are dealing with."

"I'm gonna go out on a limb and say murderers, drug cartels, human trafficking and probably illegally downloaded movies."

"Yeah, probably." Skye laughed, pulling the door to her bunk open.

"You should really eat something."

"I'm good." Skye assured, sliding into her bunk, closing the door behind her.

When Simmons came upstairs at midnight that night, after spending so long looking down at microscope that she had developed a headache, the last thing she expected to see way Fitz and Skye sitting on the sofa, Skye's legs thrown carelessly over Fitz's, he had probably complained at first but realized it was pointless when Skye didn't move, both of their eyes glued to the TV that was about ten minutes into the first Star Wars movie.

"Shouldn't you both be in bed?" Simmons asked and Fitz jumped at the sudden sound but Skye just let her head roll back to look at her, a smile covering her lips.

"Oh, hello Jemma." Fitz smiled briefly, averting his eyes back to the TV.

"Why don't you come and watch with us? It's only just started."

"Ok, sure."

Skye grinned, sitting up and patting the space behind her.

Simmons kicked off her comfy lab shoes and sitting down on the space behind, stiffening when Skye leant back against her.

"Episode three is the best one." Fitz commented offhandedly and both Skye and Simmons hummed in agreement.

It took Simmons a few minutes to relax and when she did she slid her arm between Skye and the back of the sofa, she told herself it was because she was beginning to get pins and needles, her hand resting on Skye arm that was folded across her stomach.

Skye took that as a green light and lean further against Simmons, resting her head back against the scientists shoulder.

"How is your shoulder feeling?"

"Better. I actually think I could take this thing off." Skye tilted her head back to look at Simmons, signaling towards her sling.

"No, you can't. Your joint need to be supported."

"Don't argue with her," Fitz murmured, running his hands calmingly up and down Skye's shins. "She will win."

"I just don't want to go into a pub full of mobsters that we are stealing from with a sling on."

"They wont know we are stealing from them until we are gone." Simmons argued.

"Hopefully." Fitz added. "But it's never really that simple."


	4. Chapter 4

When Skye woke up the next day Simmons was still there, both of her arms still wrapped around Skye's waist and the way she was lying Skye was sure she was going to end up with a kink in her neck. Both of them were still on the sofa, a blanket thrown over them, presumable by Fitz.

While she was asleep Simmons looked more relaxed than she had since everything with Hydra had happened. Skye smiled, cuddling back down against Simmons.

Skye was just about to fall back asleep when Trip's voice sounded from downstairs. "Simmons, Skye we are heading out soon."

Simmons startled awake, blinking in confusion.

"We need to get ready to head out." Skye said, drawing Simmons' attention to her.

"Good morning." Simmons smiled, rubbing her hand on Skye's injured shoulder. "How're you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Simmons. You really need to stop worrying."

"Come on, you two." Fitz huffed, appearing in front of the sofa with both girls outfits in his hands. "We have to get goin' in five minutes."

"Ok, keep your hair on, Fitz." Skye grumbled, pushing herself up away from Simmons, allowing the Brit to sit up and roll over the kink in her neck and shoulder. Both of them groaning when Fitz threw their clothes over their heads.

"Fitz!" Simmons yelped, pulling the clothing off her head and glared at her best friends back.

"What the hell happened to you?" Coulson asked, stopping as he headed towards the stairs, frowning down at Skye.

"I just woke up." Skye retorted, the offense clear in her tone.

"No, you're arm, what happened?"

"Oh," Skye muttered, having completely forgotten Coulson hadn't seen her since the briefing. "Simmons kicked my ass."

"I did not 'kick her arse'. Skye has been training me and we done one to many flips."

"And what are you going to do about this mission?"

"I'm still going to go." Skye stated, standing up with her clothes in her hand.

"Isn't it a simple in and out, sir?"

"Yeah but just incase."

"I'm not going to start a fight," Skye rolled her eyes as she headed towards her bunk. "Especially not with this."

"I don't believe her." Coulson said once Skye was in her bunk and Simmons shook her head.

"Me either."

-

"You look good in glasses," Skye complimented, glancing out the tinted windows of the van the team were waiting in, getting ready to enter the pub.

"Oh, thank you. I'm only really wearing them for the camera."

Skye nodded interestedly, "Huh."

"Ok, girls. The one you want to keep distracted is a big fellow, a big skull and snake tattoo on his forearm."

"Like the death eaters?"

"Not quite. This is a big skull with a snake weaving in and out of the openings." Fitz waved his hands dismissively. "Anyway, you have to keep him occupied. Flirt with him, preferable Skye because Jemma can't flirt."

"Hey." Simmons protested and Fitz just shrugged.

"Just make sure he doesn't go down to the basement until we give the all clear."

"Copy that." Skye gave Fitz a mini salut.

"May is already in there, she said the boss is on the pool table." Fitz briefed as he handed Skye and Simmons their earpieces.

"Damn, I totally could've impressed him with my pool skills if I wasn't an invalid."

"I'm quite good a pool." Simmons offered and both Fitz and Skye looked at her in surprise. "Most of it is just geometry. Angle of the shot, how hard to hit it."

"I'll believe it when I see it." Skye jested, placing the earpiece into her ear.

"Ok, girls, you are ready to go." Fitz patted their shoulders as he moved to open the back doors of the van.

Skye hopped down from the van, holding out her hand to help Simmons down.

Simmons accepted the help, grinning bashfully when her feet hit the ground and straightened out her clothes. "Thank you."

"Sure." Skye simply nodded, cleaning her throat and looking up at Fitz who was hanging out the back of the van. "When will you guys be heading in?"

"Once May tells us it's clear." Fitz said before closing the doors in Skye's face.

"Charming."

"Fitz, that was rude." Simmons scolded through the closed door, turning and following Skye who was already walking towards the pub.

"How about we go to the bar first," Skye suggested, grinning cheekily as she wrapped her arm around Simmons' shoulder. "That way I can buy a pretty girl a drink."

"But we are supposed to be keeping the boss happy not other people." Simmons frowned innocently making Skye laugh.

"God, for being a genius you sure are dumb."

Skye moved away from Simmons and opens the door to the pub.

The place was dark, the only real light coming from the open door and the light above the pool table. It had 'criminal hideout' written all over it.

Skye could feel the mens eyes slowly turn to them and follow them as they walked to the bar, the whispers were so loud that, if she tried, she could make out what they were saying. Skye suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of jealous at the fact these guys were leering at Simmons, who looked increasingly uncomfortable in that stupidly short skirt.

"What do you drink?"

"Just a coke, please."

Skye stared at her with a confused frown for a few seconds before letting out a sharp 'no' and turning to the bar man. "Two beers."

"Skye, I don't like beer."

"Then don't drink it but we have to give off the illusion that we are here for the alcohol and not the overwhelmingly nice company.

"Skye's right, Jemma." Fitz agreed in their ear. "At least pretend to drink it, yeah?"

Simmons sighed but obliged, bringing the bottle up to her lips and tipping it back but not actually taking any of the liquid into her mouth.

"You know," Skye starts, taking the bottle away from her own lips and swallowing the mouthful of beer. "You have really nice legs."

Simmons gave Skye a look. "Are you hitting on me?"

Skye just grinned regardless of the look Simmons was giving her and leant against the bar. "Do you want me to be?"

"Now isn't really the time for that, girls." It was Coulson's voice in their ear this time.

"What? I was just complimenting her."

"Jemma, why don't you head over to the table, pretend to be really interested in the game." Fitz said.

"But don't that Irish hate the English?"

"Nah, that hate the Scottish." Fitz explained. "And also Americans. But everyone hates American."

"Not cool, Nessie."

"Ah, more Scottish humor. Cute." Fitz replied dryly.

"Grow up, you two." Simmons scolded, getting up from her stool and looking at Skye. "Wish me luck."

"You got this. It's all just math, remember?"

Skye watched Simmons leave and, goddammit, those legs.

It didn't take long at all for Simmons to captivate the groups attention, in a shirt skirt and low slung top it almost didn't matter that Jemma was unequivocally beautiful. She twirled her hair around her finger, having, thankfully, gotten better at flirting since the Sitwell incident, and took a few pretty impressive shots on the table, she had a good ten or fifteen members of the Irish mob in the palm of her hand. The only other time Skye had seen men captivated like this was when Lorelei had decided to try and inslave the whole male population.

"I think you're set." Skye whispered discreetly, finishing her beer.

"Copy that." Fitz acknowledged, signaling that they were about to head in. "This should take about five minutes."

_Good_, Skye thought to herself because those guys seemed to be gravitating closer to Jemma and she didn't like that at all.

"Don't even think about it, Skye." May growled into her ear, obviously noticing the way she was twitching. This wasn't Jemma's field, she wasn't good at this kind.

It was just as Fitz managed to bust open the safe that the leaders hand made contact with Jemma, a little to low on the girls back to Skye's liking but she held back. At least until Jemma tried to push his hand away, numerous times, but it always found it's way back.

Skye stormed over and yanked his hand away before pulling Simmons protectively towards her. "When a girl pushes your hand away you don't just put it right back where she removed it for, asshole."

"Great." May sighed in her ear and she's pretty sure she head Fitz gasp her name.

"Wha'd you say to me, bitch?"

"Let me dumb it down for a knucklehead like you, keep your fucking hands to yourself."

"Skye." Simmons warned, pressing against Skye's shoulder.

"I'd listen to your girlfriend." The man growled, completely towering over both of them.

"Maybe you should've listened to her, too, and realized she didn't want your ape paws all over her."

The man didn't even say anything, he just nodded his head and there was two guys coming at Skye from her left. Thankfully, Skye was quick enough, taking out one of them with a quick hit to the nose, ducking under the others attack before kicking him square in the face.

Then everyone seemed to be fighting, not just shield and this mob but everyone. Skye had somehow managed to single handedly start a bar fight.

She managed to fight a few guys with one arm and minimal pain, spinning around to take out the person behind her but smiled when her eyes landed on Simmons, who was almost right up against her.

"Oh, hey."

"You are such a trouble maker."

"You love that about me." Skye shrugged, smiling flirtatiously down at Simmons.

"Duck!" Skye didn't think twice about the order and ducked, watching as Simmons sent the heel of her hand straight to the bosses, who was one of the few people paying attention to them, nose, breaking it judging by the crunch, and leaving him for May to take care of. "How can one girl with an injured arm start all this?"

"It's a special talent of mine. A party trick."

"Time to go, girls." Fitz snapped in their ears.

"That was such a nice hit." Skye grinned as she and Simmons rushed out of the still brawling pub, May not to far behind.

"Well, I have a good teacher."

"What. The. Hell?" Was the welcome they received from a very unhappy looking Fitz.

"You could start a fight in an empty room." Trip teased.

May hopped into the back of the van and Coulson drove off.

"You are going on a leash next mission." Simmons warned, glaring over at Skye who just grinned, obviously taking what Simmons said inappropriately.

-

All Skye wanted was to get a bottle of water and go back to bed but she was stopped on the way by Fitz.

"Come find me in the morning, Fitz." Skye murmured sleepily, patting the mans shoulder.

"What was that today, Skye?"

"What?"

"You were-" Fitz waved his hands around. "Jealous. You were jealous that he had his hands all over Jemma."

"I wasn't jealous, I was protecting her." Skye sighed, trying to walk past Fitz but he softly caught her wrist and stopped her.

"Don't push away you're feelings because you're scared, ok?" Fitz advised softly. "Not everyone ends up fuckin' you over and Jemma isn't Hydra. She told me so."

"That's not what this is about at all." Skye pulled her arms away. "Goodnight, Fitzy."

"You- I'm tryin' to give you advise." Fitz sounded like pouting child and Skye regrets turning around because he looks like a wounded puppy.

"Sorry. I just don't need it, we're a family. We protect each other."

Fitz nodded solemnly. "Ok."

"Thank you, though." Skye smiled tiredly, pecking the Scot quickly on the cheek before heading back to her bunk.


	5. Chapter 5

I don't really like this ending but yeah.

I also started writing something new, that I will hopefully be putting up in the next week or so :)

* * *

"Why are we landing?" Skye frowned, looking out the window of the Bus.

"We are spending the foreseeable future at the Playground. You were there when we were told." Simmons tilted her head back against Skye's lap to look up at her.

"I was?"

"Mm. You were busy with your laptop, though." Simmons murmured, turning her eyes back to the book she was reading.

"Why are we going to the Playground?"

"Coulson figured there was no point in us being in the air when we don't have a mission. He also has to talk through stuff with Hill."

Skye nodded, averting her eyes back out the window. This was always something she loved doing, no matter the situation they were in, looking out the windows at sunset.

When they landed Billy was there waiting for them as always but, this time, agent Hill was also waiting for them, walking past the team to lead Coulson away, Fitz, Trip and Skye's eyes following her as she went.

"You boys are perverts." Simmons shook her head, seemingly not noticing that Skye was also starting at Hill.

"Yeah, disgusting, boys." Skye tutted, grinning when Fitz gawped at her, having obviously noticed that Skye was also staring.

"Boys you are bunking together and so are you girls." May said.

"So you and Coulson are bunk buddies?" Skye teased.

"We get her own room." May raised her eyebrow, looking somewhat smug as she walked away.

"I will show you to your bunks. This way."

Skye moved to pick up her bag but Simmons beat her to it.

"Simmons, what are you..."

"You are hurt. I will carry your bag."

Skye tutted, grabbing the handle of her bag and tried to take it back but Simmons didn't let go. "Would you-" Skye pulled at the bag again, this Simmons let go, pouting a little. "Thank you. It was sweet but I'm not an invalid."

"I know you're not."

"Ok, girls, this if your room." Billy opened the door for them before leading Fitz and Trip down the hallway.

"I forgot rooms are usually larger than a coffin." Skye muttered, looking around the room. It wasn't exactly larger, maybe twice as big a the Bus' bunks.

Skye dropped her bag on the floor, looking at the bunk beds before turning to Simmons with a grin in her face, it didn't take Simmons long to figure out the words that were about to come out of Skye's mouth.

"Top or bottom?"

Simmons rolled her eyes, walking towards the bed before Skye could catch the smile on her face. "Bottom."

"Figures." Skye dug her laptop out of her bag, having more use of her other arm without pain, since it had been five days since it happened.

"You are using that arm a lot better." Simmons commented as she say down on the bed.

"I've been telling you for the past day or so that it's better, I can move it without pain."

"Come over here."

Skye obliged, sliding her laptop onto her own bed before looking down at Simmons.

"Kneel."

"Bossy." Skye grumbled, kneeling down in front of Simmons.

Simmons placed her hand on Skye's shoulder and ordered her to rotate her shoulder, nodding approvingly. "I think you're good to take this off."

"And you said a week." Skye huffed playfully, moving her head to the side to allow Simmons to unbuckle her sling, a better one that Simmons had initially set her up with.

"If it starts to hurt again you need to tell me." Simmons warned, bracing Skye's arm as she removed the sling.

"Pinky promise." Skye swore, rather childishly.

"Did you know the pink promise originated in China where they would snap a person pinky if they broke their promise?" Simmons looked up at Skye as she rotated the girls arm.

"You aren't gonna snap my pinky, are you?"

"As long as you don't break your promise." Simmons smiled down at Skye, releasing her arm and lying back on her bed.

"What did you like to do in your free time? You know, before shield?" Skye asked, folding her arms on Simmons' bed and resting her chin on her forearm.

"I didn't really have any free time." Simmons let her head fall to the side to look at Skye, clasping her hands over her stomach. "I was a student, I either had class or was studying."

"There must have been something you enjoyed doing?" Skye lightly hit Simmons' hip and, at first, Simmons didn't know what she wanted but when Skye nudged her head she understood and moved over, allowing Skye to climb up onto the bed beside her. "I know you like to read, and anything science related, but what else?"

"My parents used to take me skiing in Italy when I was a kid. That was fun."

"Not what I was expecting."

Simmons hummed, turning on her side to face Skye. "What about you?"

"I couldn't really afford to have a hobby. I did like opening things up, though."

"Is that an innuendo?" Simmons narrows her eyes at Skye who flips onto her stomach, resting her head on her crossed arms.

"No, don't be so dirty minded, Simmons." Simmons can't see Skye's mouth but she _knows_ she's grinning. "I meant like laptops and stuff. I used to fix laptops and phones to get money to buy food before I ended up tangled up with all you guys."

"You say that like its a bad thing,"

"Maybe it is. Maybe you guys have completely ruined my life." Skye peeked at Simmons over her arms.

"Yeah right," Simmons scoffed. "If you weren't here you would be in prison."

Skye shoulders shook with laughter. "Probably. That or dead."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. There was a lot of people who wanted me dead back them, think about how many people I would've pissed off between then and now."

"A lot. You seem to have a real nack for that."

"What do you think you would be doing if you weren't with shield?"

"Probably something similar to what I'm doing now. But with less aliens and life threatening situations."

"But that would be boring."

"Yeah," Simmons agreed, combing her mouth with her hand as she yawned.

"I'll let you sleep."

"I'm not all that tried."

"Getting up at stupid o'clock must be exhausting." Skye leant up on her elbows, leaning over to kiss Simmons on the cheek and rolling off the bed before Simmons could react. "G'night."

Skye climbed up onto the top bunk, sitting cross legged against the bars that were against the wall and opened up her laptop.

"Good night, Skye." Simmons whispered a few seconds later, clapping her hands twice causing the lights to shut off.

"Hey, I always wanted lights like these when I was a kid." Skye grinned, looking up at the dangling lightbulb and clapped her hands to turn then on, then off, then on again.

"Skye, you are going to break them."

"Right, sorry." Skye muttered, a little embarrassed, clapping her hands one final time to turn the lights off. "Start training again tomorrow?"

"Ok. Good night." Simmons murmured quietly, pulling the covers up to her chin.

Skye was started awake by a loud bang followed by the door reopening and Simmons' hushed whispers.

"Fitz, I told you not to slam the bloody door. Skye is still asleep." Simmons scolded before closing the door again.

"What's all the banging?" Skye grumbled, pulling the covers up over her head.

"Sorry, that was Fitz." Simmons replied sheepishly.

"And what's he grumpy about?"

"They aren't allowing us in the lab right now. I don't know what to do with myself."

"Come up and sleep with me." Skye murmured sleepily

"I'm sorry?" Simmons squeaked, raising her eyebrows in surprise.

"Don't get excited, Romeo. I meant sleep in. Sleep past eight am for the first time in your life, Simmons." Skye didn't turn to face Simmons, instead throwing the covers off herself.

"Are you wearing bottoms?"

"No but I have underwear on." Skye huffed against her pillow. "Come on, Simmons, don't be all coy about it."

"Fine," Simmons took off her zipped and climbed up the metal ladder to the top bunk.

Skye turned around to face Simmons was she laid down beside her, opening one eye and smiling at Simmons. "When was the last time you slept past eight am?"

"I can't remember." Simmons whispered back, tucking her hands under head head. She would normally sleep with her legs bent but if she tried to do that now, even the tiniest bit, her legs would touch Skye's.

"Then try and do so today, it makes you feel great." Skye said, her eyes fluttered closed.

Simmons turned on her other side, her back facing Skye.

Skye moved a little closer to Simmons, resting her forehead against her back and hiding her face in between Simmons' back and the mattress. "Why is this place so cold?"

"Beats me." Simmons answered, though she knew Skye probably didn't want one.

When Skye woke up for the second time that day she was feeling much more refreshed and warmer.

Skye frowned, removing her face from against Simmons' arm and looking up at the Brit, a lazy smile stretching across her lips. "Well, isn't this a pretty sight to wake up to."

"Did you know you talk in your sleep?"

"Mm, no." Skye murmured, her voice horse with sleep, as she let her head fall against Simmons' shoulder. "What was I saying?"

"Something about Fitz."

"Fitting, since I was having a very good sex dream about him."

"What?" Skye laughed at how Simmons' voice had jumped up a few octaves.

"I'm kidding, weirdo." Skye chortled, pushing herself up onto her elbows, running her hand lazily through her tangled hair. "Did you sleep at all?"

"No, I couldn't."

"So you just laid there and watched me sleep. Dude, that's creepy."

"Well, you are pretty when you're asleep."

"Are you saying I'm not pretty any other time?" Skye gasping in mock offense.

"You are beautiful but when you're awake you talk all the time, you don't do it as much in your sleep."

Skye chuckled, rolling her eyes at Simmons' playful jab.

Simmons smiled, her hands seemingly developing a mind if their own and reaching up to untangle Skye's hair.

Skye closed her eyes briefly, leaning against Simmons' hand.

"You really are beautiful." Simmons whispers so quietly that Skye just barely caught it and opened her eyes.

"Says you, the prettiest girl that I've ever seen."

"Including Agent Hill."

Skye smiled sheepishly. "You saw that, huh?"

"You weren't exactly discreet about it."

"Well, to answer your question, yes, I do think you are prettier than Agent Hill."

Simmons smiled up at Skye, her eyebrows creasing slightly because she was sure Skye was moving closer to her. Her eyes crossed as Skye brushed her nose tentatively against hers before allowing them to flutter closed.

"Is this ok?"

"Yes."

Skye nodded a little and was about to bridge the tiny gap between their lips when-

"Jem, they are letting us in the..."

Simmons shot up, seemingly forgetting that Skye was hovering over her and headbutted her right on the forehead.

"_Fuck_, Jemma," Skye groaned, falling back against the pillow and pressing her palm against her forehead. "Have you developed a thing recently where you like to cause me bodily harm?"

"Oh my god, I am _so_ sorry." Simmons quickly grabbed Skye's wrist and pulled it away to get a look at her forehead that was now sporting a red mark.

"You've been saying that a lot recently."

"Uh, Jemma."

"What, Fitz?" Simmons asked in annoyance.

"They're letting us into the lab now."

Simmons drew her eye from Fitz to Skye who had gone back to rubbing her forehead.

"Go. I'm going to take a look around, anyway. Maybe annoy Billy or something."

"Ok," Simmons nodded, pulling Skye's hand away again but this time leant over and placed a lingering kiss on the forming bruise. "I'm sorry."

"It's whatever," Skye shook her head, grinning half bashfully half giddily. "Go and do whatever it is you're planning on doing."

Simmons nodded, climbing down the ladder before turning back to look at Skye. "Maybe we can train later today? After dinner perhaps."

"Sure. Like I said, I'm not doing anything overly exciting today so just whenever you're ready."

Simmons nodded, smiling quickly at Skye before leaving with Fitz.

"Were you two..."

"Don't, Fitz."

"But I'm sure you guys were..."

"Stop."

"But..."

"_Fitz_," Simmons snapped, glaring back at the boy. "I don't know what it was, ok? Just stay quiet about it."

"My lips are sealed," Fitz assured, pretending to lock his lips. "Unlike yours."

Simmons tutted, rolling her eyes as she spun on her heels and marched off towards the lab.

"What are these monitors for?" Skye asked, pointing up to the row of monitors that were showing a live feed of a hallway Skye hadn't seen at the playground.

"That's one of the new secret bases." Billy answered in a monotone voice, his head perched on his fist as he stared down at the paperwork her was doing.

"Where is it?"

"Do you not understand the meaning of the word secret?" Billy huffed, looking up just Simmons walked in. "I hope you are here to save me from her."

Skye turned her head when she heard Billy speak, smiling when her eyes landed on Simmons. "Oh, hey, did you know we have new secret bases?"

"I didn't, no."

"Mm," Skye nodded, turning back to the screens and swinging her legs slightly from her seat on Billy's desk. "Don't know where they are, right enough. They're secret."

"It's kind of in the name, Skye." Simmons smiled affectionately, leaning her shoulder against the door frame.

"Yeah, but we are, like, high up, aren't we? Surely we should know."

"In due time, agent Skye." Billy promised, looking up at Simmons. "Take her away, please. She has been in here for the past two and a half hours. Does she ever stop talking?"

"Not even in her sleep." Simmons grinned up at Skye, nudging her head in the direction of the hallway. "You want to start?"

"Oh, yeah." Skye hopped off the desk, smiling down at Billy. "I will be back later, buddy."

Skye followed Simmons out of the room, laughing when Billy's office door close and there was a clicking of metal against metal like it had been locked. "He loves me."

"I don't think he does."

"It's deep down. Probably way, _way_ deep down but it's there."

"And I'm sure the reason he wanted rid of you was because he felt selfie for taking up so much of your time which meant you couldn't share your brilliance with the world."

"Exactly." Skye said, realizing she was follow Simmons to god knows where. "Where are we going?"

"I found this training room. It has padded floors."

"Oh, we need a gun."

"There are practice ones down there."

Skye followed Simmons through the hallways and down some stairs until they reached a large, spacious room with anything you would ever need to train someone.

"Grab a gun and we will get started." Skye said, standing in the middle of the floor and waiting for Simmons to come back with a gun.

"Ok, point it at me." Simmons did as she was told and Skye explained what she had to do, going through that motions as she did so. "You got it?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Skye took the gun from Simmons and pointed it at her. "Try not to hurt me in some way."

Simmons rolled her eyes and done as Skye had previously showed her, gripping onto the wrist of the hand that was holding the gun, twisting it and spinning into Skye until her back was against the hackers front.

Skye smiled when the gun dropped into Simmons' hand. "Good."

"Good?" Simmons smiled proudly up at Skye leaning back slightly against her.

"Very good." Skye whispered and she could feel Simmons' hands loosen on her arm, if Skye had any kind of brain function right now and could focus in anything but the fact that Jemma was looking at her with hooded eyes, she would take Simmons down.

Before Skye could make herself do anything Simmons pushed herself up on her toes, giving Skye a quick kiss on the lips.

Skye blinked a few times, making sure she wanted actually dreaming before shaking her head, bringing her hand up to hold onto Simmons' chin. "You shouldn't do that out on the field." Was all she said before leaning down, pulling Simmons' chin up a little to angle her head better and kissed her.

"I figured." Simmons shoots back as she turns around to face Skye, her arms winding around her neck, Skye's settling around Simmons' waist.

"You know," Skye mutters between kisses. "Unless they're really cute."

"I like you." Simmons said as she pulled back, a little breathless.

"I figured." Skye mimics Simmons' previous words with a little grin playing on her lips. "I like you, too."

"Good. I was worried."

Skye raised her eyebrows, like that fact that Simmons honestly though Skye didn't like her back was crazy, and it kind of was. "Really? I haven't been blatantly obvious?"

"I thought you were just a natural flirt?"

"God, no. I'm a better flirt than you, right enough." Skye grinned, moving her hand up to tangle in the hair on the back of Simmons' neck and pulling slightly to guid Simmons in for another kiss and Simmons happily obliged, pushing herself up onto her tiptoes to connect their lips.

"I can definitely get used to that." Simmons breathed against Skye's lips, bracing herself by holding onto Skye's shoulders.

"How about we watch a midnight movie tonight? I will let you cash in on getting to picking the movie."

"Like a date?"

"Like a date." Skye confirmed. "Well, the closest we can get to a date in here, anyway. It won't be the most romantic date in the world but..."

"I don't care."

Skye nodded, ducking her head to quickly kiss Jemma before pulling back with a grin on her lips. "You wanna keep going? Or will you not be able to control yourself around me now?"

Simmons rolled her eyes as she took a step away from Skye. "I think I can control myself."

"If you say so," Skye caught the gun when Simmons threw it at her, getting ready to go again.

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* * *

Skye already had everything set up and was sprawled out on Jemma's bed typing away on her laptop when Jemma finally finished whatever experiments Coulson had her and Fitz doing and came back to their room.

"Finally."

"Couldn't function without me?" Jemma teased, kicking off her shoes and lying down on the bed, shuffling against Skye when the hacker opened up her arms.

"Mmhm." Skye hummed, pressing her nose against Jemma's temple. "What movie do you want on?"

"Harry potter."

"Mm, good choice." Skye quickly pecked Jemma on the cheek before turning back to her laptop and pulling up the movie.

Skye fixed the laptop on her stomach and wrapping one arm around Jemma's shoulder who moved as close to Skye as possible without knocking off the laptop, throwing one leg over both of Skye's and resting her head against the hackers shoulder.


End file.
